Ridley didn't play another snap after the fumble. Considering his previous residence in coach Bill Belichick's doghouse, he's unsure if he was benched solely for ball-security reasons.

"It was what it was. We had a first half of football to play. That was the time that we got," Ridley said, via ESPN Boston. "Either way, that really wasn't my call. I didn't know how much longer I'd be in there or not."

As we pointed out on Monday's edition of the Around The League Podcast, though, Belichick has little choice but to stick with Ridley.

For as much hype as James White has drawn this summer, the first two preseason games show a rookie tailback lacking any semblance of power or playmaking ability. He's closer to Shane Vereen as a passing-down specialist.

As a pure runner, it's obvious that Ridley is head and shoulders above the crowd in this backfield.

That leaves Ridley in the same scenario as the one he faced at the end of last summer: Staying prepared for Belichick to offer him another chance as the team's power back.